Breaking the News
by dragonmentality
Summary: Sarah never expected it to happen. She always figured her husband would be the first to die in their little family unit. But it was Ironhide. Parody fic to Tying Loose Ends.


So, I should probably explain why I'm posting this. I went back and read _Tying Loose Ends_ because I wanted to check any typos and generally knit-pick. And I mentioned a phone call, but I never elaborated on it, which I'm glad I didn't do, because, well, I like that fic the way it is. So, this it what happened.

Any new readers: You do not need to read _Tying Loose Ends_ to be able to comprehend this. You're smart, and this happened before TLE happened. But I would highly reccomend reading the parody fic to this number one: because I want to expand my readers/follower (let's be honest, shall we?) and number two: I can't tell you what number two is because it totally spoils TLE.

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers.

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><p>"Sarah, it's me." Colonel Lennox said those three little words that had his wife leaning against the wall and closing her eyes in relief. Miraculously, he had survived. Again. The world was saved. Again. And then they would return to normality for it to be all screwed up. Again.<p>

Sarah Lennox wondered how many spare lives her husband had, or what great power would bother to protect him through so many wars. She was thankful that whatever it was was protecting them from their family being divided by tragedy.

"When are you and 'Hide coming home?" She asked. She tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder, getting started on dinner as Annabelle watched TV in the next room.

"Sarah," she immediately hated the tone that Will was using. "'Ironhide is gone."

The phone clattered to the floor.

Sarah stared at the offending object as tears started to well up in her eyes. Horrified, her hand covered her mouth. Losing all strength, she sunk to the floor, tears tracing down her cheeks.

There was a reason she hadn't asked if Ironhide was okay. Of _course_ he was okay. The only one she was worried about was Will, who was fragile in comparison to the huge weapons master. Ironhide surviving was an accepted fact. There was no way to dispute it nor prove it untrue. He lived through everything. Even Annabelle's terrible two's.

But it seemed that Ironhide had run out of second chances and there was no mystical being that was protecting them from tragedy.

What had happened? Five years ago, a _truck_ transformed in front of her eyes her life was changed forever. And, in stages, she had learned to trust him, and eventually love him. And now, the truck that she trusted with their lives was gone.

He was gone. How could he be _gone_?

And their lives were changed forever. Again.

"Sarah? Sarah!" There were muted, desperate calls from the Colonel as he tried to illicit a response from his wife.

She snatched up the phone. "How?" She demanded. There was no way in a normal battle that he would be killed.

Sarah had never even seen him _injured._ And now, all of a sudden, he was dead?

No. That was impossible.

"We were betrayed," he replied solemnly.

Sarah started to sob. That was no way for the ancient weapons master to go. That was no way to justify leaving their family behind.

"Sarah, it's going to be okay," Will attempted to soothe.

"No. It's _not_," Sarah insisted between sobs. She loved the giant alien robot. He was theirgiant alien robot. In fact, he was the big brother she never had. She loved him, and she knew that underneath the warrior attitude, he loved each of them until the end of time.

The end of his time.

"What about Annabelle?" She asked. "How could he leave _her _behind?"

"He died protecting her," Will said. That was how they stayed sane. Saving the world? That was a concept no one could wrap their heads around. Saving little Annabelle? More doable and definitely had more meaning than saving the billions of lives on Earth.

"Will, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he choked out, the sorrow finally getting to him. "I don't know. I keep seeing it happen over and over and _over_ again."

"What happened to him?" Sarah whispered quietly. William needed to share his pain, and she could make the burden lighter.

"Sentinel used this weird weapon. It shot at him and this _acid_... it ate through him in _seconds_. Bumblebee barely got away. He... Sarah, there's nothing left of him. Everything rusted except... except one of the triggers his cannons."

"Come home. Right now. I don't care who you have to threaten, we have to deal with this as a family," Sarah ordered. Both of them knew that the last part had been a lie.

They couldn't handle this situation as a _family_ if a fourth of them was gone.

After saying reassurances, goodbyes and I love yous, Sarah hung up and stood in the archway that separated the kitchen and the family room.

"What did you leave behind, 'Hide?" She asked quietly, half hoping that he would respond.

But he didn't. He was gone.

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><p>Well, you read the whole thing so you might as well click on the button below and then, like, you know, review. <em>After<em> you do that, go ahead and stalk my profile, maybe read my other stories and review _those_.

Thank you!


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